NBI: Some persons of interest in alleged assassination plot against PBBM in active service, part of VP Sara's security

NBI Director Melvin Matibag revealed on Wednesday that some of the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) persons of interest in the alleged plot to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are active uniformed personnel, and another is a member of Vice President Sara Duterte’s security group. Speaking as a witness before the impeachment trial of Duterte at the Senate, Matibag said the persons of interest are connected to the individual allegedly hired by the Vice President to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if Duterte dies. “Actually, there is a personality who is part of the group,” Matibag said when asked if the members of Duterte’s security detail are among the bureau’s persons of interest. He added that some are uniformed personnel who are still active in the armed services. The NBI chief stated that they are narrowing down the number of persons of interest to less than 20. He stressed that they are not limiting their investigation to the Davao Death Squad (DDS). “We are narrowing it down already to fewer than 20 individuals, and we already have their names. In fact, for some of them, we are already speaking with their families or acquaintances,” he said. During the interjection of Senator Erwin Tulfo, Matibag explained that the bureau used informants in creating its list. “We looked at which sphere it could fall under. Rather than immediately asking who it was, we first asked where it could have come from. Based on what emerged, we know the history, [Duterte] has what is known as an extensive network and broad connections,” he said. Considering her position and the fact that former president Rodrigo Duterte is her father, Matibag said the Vice President has connections to personnel in the military, law enforcement, and possible armed groups. “I also mentioned the VPSG and the Davao Death Squad. So, through a process of elimination, we looked into the people who may have come from those groups or who may have knowledge of them,” he explained. This development is being watched closely as a sign of political instability within the Philippines, potentially highlighting tensions between high-ranking political figures. The suggestion of involvement by the Vice President's security detail could be interpreted as indicative of rifts within the administration.